When we lived in France before, my job often had me in the former Western Front. Amiens is a town I know very well and I love it! It’s the gateway to the Somme battlefields. Estelle and Lavinia and I made a quick trip to visit friends while the boys hung out in Paris.

Catching the train around is so easy and mostly, more relaxing. We took a train from our nearest station at Oissel to Paris and then Paris to Amiens.

The Amiens Cathedral is actually the biggest in France, bigger than Notre Dame of Paris! It’s other claim to fame is it’s rapid construction. Commencing in 1220, it was almost entirely complete 68 years later. The facade is truely magnifique and you can still see some of the paint on the statues at the front as it all used to be painted in medieval times.

The inside is as amazing as the exterior and it has some beautifully carved stalls. During the First World War it received a few shells and some damage but was largely saved from destruction.

In 2018, we held a joint ceremony (British, French, Canadian & Australian) inside the Cathedral to mark the Battle of Amiens and the last 100 days of the war which ultimately led to allied victory. That was a memorable ceremony. General Monash fans will know of his important role in this battle and how he considered it one of the most important events and he commemorated it every year.

It was nice to walk through the familiar streets of Amiens, stop in a favourite cafe for a drink and have dinner with a very nice group of friends!